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It’s important to know what you like. That’s obvious. But have you ever really thought about what you like? I mean really thought about it? About a year ago I was at a friends house and we were discussing decorating styles. She asked me what mine was. That was the first time anyone had ever asked me. I wasn’t even sure. Like an idiot- I said whatever Target is selling at the moment. I just kind of buy what they tell me. That was a wake up moment for me. She had a beautiful home, decorated using flee market and estate sale finds. It spoke so much of her and her husband’s style. And it was so interesting. I feel my house if very uninteresting. It’s nice, but not memorable. I thought we didn’t have a lot of discretionary income to make it “ours”, so I felt big name stores was the most economical choice and it kept us in style. But I’ve come to realize that’s not my style. When I look around my house I don’t feel like it represents my husband and me.

So I took a quiz online. I recomend you do the same if you don’t know your style. Most likely it will tell you what you already kind of knew. But at least you have it in writing!

Mine said this about me:

Country Charmer – You’re a born romantic, and you love pieces that show something of the lives their past owners lived. You don’t need to impress with fine things; you’d rather look for the piece whose beauty others somehow passed by. You’re resourceful and eclectic, and follow your own instincts in both decorating and life. Your sunny outlook is charming, but be careful not to let your rose-tinted glasses blind you to the real world — at least not all of the time!

Sometimes I want to throw all of our boring no story furniture away. Start completely from scratch again. Buy only things that seem interesting and we love. In the beginning we decorated out home to look like a model home. I had even been hesitant to hang family pictures up. Being in the new home business, I knew the importance of resale-ability (if that’s a word). Customization is the death of the resale. We had been brainwashed into thinking a house wasn’t a home, just an investment that we were hulled up in until we sold it. Well let me tell you that is no way to live. It’s hard making a mortgage payment on a house you think you are just borrowing and need to leave in pristine condition.

Well I’m not going to do anything drastic, like throw my furniture away. But I will use it until it dies a good death from toddlerhood. Then we will replace it. Either build, thrift or scavenge. Either way, I’m ready to start living my life. Not some catalog life.

“It is your personality that brings a room alive.” -Dwellings

What about you? Do you ever feel that you decorate just to please others, not yourself? I’d love to hear from you!

source: ashleyannphotography.com
Beautiful playroom by Ashley over at Under the Sycamore blog. I love her style and ability to put new life into old treasures.